Breaking | UFC 227: Beijing debut announced – and Zhang Weili wants invite to the party after dominant win in LA
As the latest Chinese fighter announces herself on the UFC stage, China’s capital gets in on the action
The 28-year-old strawweight from Hebei took her record to 17-1 all-time – and 1-0 in the UFC – with a show of pure power and intent against Danielle “Dynamite” Taylor (9-4) at UFC 227, overwhelming her American opponent through sheer weight of numbers early on Sunday morning (Hong Kong time).
A star may well have been born on the biggest stage there is in MMA. Zhang took in the atmosphere, and the unanimous points decision, and then her thoughts then turned quickly to home.
“Fighting in the UFC is like nothing else I have experienced so, when I am preparing to fight, I feel more nerves but, once my music started, the nerves went away and I felt at home in the Octagon,” Zhang said after her arm was raised.
“I am very appreciative to the UFC for this opportunity. To show the world what Chinese MMA looks like is a very special thing. Last year, UFC made its debut in China and I would love to fight again in China if there is an opportunity for me to do so. I want to put on a great show and an even better fight than I did tonight in front of the Chinese fans.”
That chance should come on November 24 at Beijing’s 18,000-seater Cadillac Arena as the UFC returns to China after its sell-out debut in Shanghai last November. That card brought the house down as local fighters went 5-3 across the night – with performance bonuses being award to welterweight Li “The Leech” Jingliang (15-5) and bantamweight Song “The Terminator” Yadong (12-3) for their exploits, while featherweight Wang “The Dongbei Tiger” Guan (17-1-1) made a hugely impressive debuts.
It has been no secret since that the UFC has been working to make China a regular stop on its annual forays into Asia, as the MMA market across the country explodes – and more and more Chinese fighters start to make their mark on the sport, internationally.